Agreement Reached to Reduce Custody Requirement to THREE YEARS for Lieutenants
PPOA and the Sheriff’s Department have reached an agreement to reduce the Custody Lieutenant five (5) year commitment for patrol certified supervisors to three (3) years.
Please note the following details of the agreement:
- During the duration of the “dual track” program, 50% of Patrol Watch Commander lieutenant vacancies will be filled with existing custody lieutenants who meet or exceed the 3-year or more custody commitment period.
- Transfers for all existing lieutenants will be made based on time in grade as a lieutenant. Department seniority will be used as a tie breaker.
- Existing custody lieutenants who meet the three (3) year or more custody commitment period shall also be permitted to transfer to non-Watch Commander assignments.
“This agreement is the culmination of months of discussions,” said PPOA President Tab Rhodes. “We are grateful to the department for recognizing this disparity in treatment and working with PPOA to resolve the issue. We also want to give special thanks to Undersheriff Murakami and personnel from Employee Relations for making this agreement possible.”
Profiles: Lt. Jennifer Seetoo
Written by Josie Lionetti | Photographed by Julie Wuellner
Malibu Magazine
SINCE HER FIRST DAY AS LIEUTENANT, JENNIFER SEETOO HAS SEEN MALIBU AT ITS LOWEST OF LOWS. YET AMIDST THE DESTRUCTION, SHE HAS BEEN A GUIDING FORCE BEHIND BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND CHANGING IT FOR THE BETTER.
Since becoming Lieutenant at the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s station, Lieutenant Seetoo has seen Malibu at it’s lowest low. She’s seen friends killed at the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks during last year’s mass shooting, neighbors lose their homes, and Malibu’s beautiful landscape engulfed in flames. Yet amidst that destruction, she has been a guiding force behind bringing the community together and changing it for the better.During a recent sit down with Lieutenant Seetoo, she shared how she got to be where she is today, the problems she has already tackled in the community, and what she plans to do moving forward.
What was your law enforcement career like, leading up to becoming Lieutenant of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station?
“I started in law enforcement when I was only 18 or 19 years old when I worked as a custody assistant,” Seetoo said. She was one of the first women to graduate as an honor recruit from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy and graduated top of her class (which she is more than proud to admit). Afterward, she spent time working in the Men’s Central Jail and Century Regional Detention Facility. Following that, she patrolled at Compton station.
In May of 2004, she left the states to work in Iraq. “I may not look like it but when I was in Iraq I worked as a bodyguard and ran convoys from the red zone through the green zone, to the Baghdad International Airport,” Seetoo said. “You really feel like you’re making an impact. You’re saving lives. So it was very rewarding.”
“I was an anomaly over there as a woman,” Seetoo continued, “You don’t see female contractors doing what I was doing.” She would walk through the streets and get to know the people. Even today she is still friends with some of the Iraqis she met during her time there.
After nine months in Iraq, she moved to Jordan, where she spent the next three months training Iraqi police officers. Once her year in the middle east concluded, she returned to the states and began working for the Department of Homeland Security on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. She later went to the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station, where she worked as a sergeant. She also worked as Deputy Director of the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), a cooperative effort between United States federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety agencies to address terrorism-related threat intelligence for the greater Los Angeles region.
Three days before the Woolsey Fire began, Lieutenant Seetoo was transferred to the Lost Hill’s Sheriff’s station as the operations lieutenant. Her first day on the job Department Captain Joshua Thai had an emergency medical issue, putting her in charge as the Woolsey fire broke out.
On March 4th, in honor of the work Seetoo did during the fire, and the leadership role she played, Senator Henry Stern named Lieutenant Seetoo as Woman of the Year for the 27th Senate District.
The Woolsey Fire began your third day on the job. What were some of the emotions you experienced as you dealt with the situation?
“Within my first three minutes here, I became the acting captain,” Seetoo said. She explained that in the days leading up to the fire both, the community and herself were still paralyzed by the tragedy at the Borderline Bar & Grill, in which a gunman took 13 lives at the popular Thousand Oaks bar.
“People from my church were killed at borderline,” Seetoo said. Despite her fear, there was no time to panic. Once she got word of the fire, she immediately called Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Williams and began preparing and planning. Before the fire hit Los Angeles County, Williams ordered an evacuation from Valley Circle to Lindero Canyon.
“I was in shock,” Seetoo said. “I couldn’t believe what was happening.” While working tirelessly to evacuate the community, and getting emergency operations underway, she had her own family to worry about, which includes her husband Joseph and two young daughters.
“We ended up having to live in the captain’s office until we could return to our house. It was a devastating time,” Seetoo recalls.
Once the fire jumped the 101 Freeway, it became too big to handle, and incident command stepped in and took over the fire operations. However, her work didn’t end there. Seetoo took charge of the station, where she led to the department as they attempted to handle the situation and the aftermath.
How do you think the community has recovered since Woolsey?
“The way the community came together, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Seetoo said. “I really watched a community rally together, and that was important.” Seetoo held a pancake breakfast during the holidays to show the community how much they matter to her and how grateful she is to have them in her life. Despite the signs of hope that arose from the ashes of Woolsey, Seetoo also saw criticism from those who were reluctant to offer support to a place like Malibu.
“I often hear a lack of sympathy from people, because of Malibu being an affluent area, but that isn’t really true. We have mobile home parks that are just gone,” Seetoo said. “There are normal, everyday people here who lost everything, and they need help just as much as anyone else.”
Now, even though much of the rubble has cleared, and the hillsides bloom with vibrant wildflowers, Seetoo believes the community is still in the process of healing.
“I am happy to be the liaison lieutenant to see the healing, and we must not look back,” Seetoo said. “We can look back to learn lessons, but we must look forward to repair and rebuild.” Despite the difficult tasks she has had to take on as lieutenant, Seetoo is thankful to be where she is.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster working for the community, but it has been amazing,” Seetoo said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
What have you found most challenging about the job?
“The most challenging part of the job is that people look to law enforcement to solve all the problems, and that isn’t really the case. We can only do as much as the law allows us to do,” Seetoo said. “I want to help, but people must understand I can only work within the laws given to me.”
And the most rewarding?
“A big passion of mine is protecting our kids in our schools. The school districts here are amazing and I love working with the community.” Seetoo said.
She has been able to bring people together in this effort, and is continuously impressed by the desire of parents to work in this endeavor. One organization in the area which is part of bettering the community’s schools and the children that attend them is something known as Armory of Harmony. The organization was founded by Richard Gibbs, who is also a founding member of the Malibu Cultural Arts Commission. Armory of Harmony is an organization that melts down guns and turns them into musical instruments to put back into schools.
“Working with organizations like this, and the Boys and Girls Club, are the things that I enjoy doing the most—making an impact on the community,” Seetoo said.
What are some of the top issues you want to tackle as Lieutenant?
When she began her position, it was important for Seetoo to hear what concerns the community had and what changes they wanted to see.
“When you reach out to the community, they come up with these great ideas,” Seetoo said. “It’s really important to include the community on the plans, even as we prepare for things like fires.”
One of the main concerns Seetoo has already worked on, is the issue of homelessness in Malibu.
Following complaints from parents regarding the safety around Malibu Library and Legacy Park, Seetoo led an initiative to clean up the park.
Along with other deputies, she brought in special teams from the city and Los Angeles County to help with the project. The homeless teams often included veterans and even people who had been homeless themselves.
State senator Henry Stern named Lieutenant Seetoo ‘Woman of the Year’, 2019, for the 27th Senate District.
“It was neat to watch the interaction [between the teams and those in the park] and gaining the trust of that individual,” Seetoo said.
Seetoo is extremely proud of the work she and her deputies have done with the park, and not only what was done, but how it was done.
“We did a great job with the park and I think the public saw we do care about people and people’s safety,” Seetoo said. “We did it in such a way where it touched people’s hearts. The humanitarian aspect of it really moved the community.”
Not only does Seetoo believe the community has benefited from the cleanup, but that those homeless individuals have benefited as well.
“We have gotten people permanent housing out of it, medical help…it’s been amazing and unique to see,” Seetoo said. “We are continuing to keep Legacy Park what it’s supposed to be—a park for everyone to come and enjoy.”
On top of the homeless problem in Malibu, another one of the concerns community members have raised is traffic.
“A lot of people complain, so we listened to the community, sat down, and created a plan,” Seetoo said. The first part of that plan has been a bike patrol in the Civic Center area.
“Malibu has never had a bike patrol and now it enables people to respond more quickly to deal with a situation,” Seetoo said.
On top of the bike team, Seetoo devised another plan which involved sectioning Malibu in four quadrants, with deputies in each quadrant.
“The goal is to increase visibility. We are dealing with people parking in incorrect lanes, stopping to get into a valet…the point is to try and keep traffic moving. I know this traffic team we created will save lives,” Seetoo said. “It may not solve the traffic problem but it will save lives, and that brings me peace.”
What makes Malibu different from other places you have worked before?
“Malibu is this amazing electric community. In other areas, people are so individualistic, but Malibu is this thriving, community-oriented, and special place. It’s close-knit and the people here are so different, yet they are able to come together and mesh. It’s a special place. There is nothing like Malibu.” MM
Workers’ Comp and Disability Retirement Seminar
As many PPOA members are aware, trying to navigate workers compensation can be an overwhelming experience. Fortunately, we know some of the most trusted experts in the business and they will be at PPOA on Saturday, November 2nd to help PPOA members make informed, intelligent decisions regarding workers compensation and retirement planning. This seminar will be hosted by our friends at Straussner Sherman and is FREE to all PPOA members but space is limited in our conference so please RSVP as soon as possible.
WORKERS COMP & RETIREMENT STRATEGIES
Free Seminar for PPOA Members
Hosted by Straussner Sherman
Saturday, November 2, 2019
PPOA Conference Center
188 E. Arrow Highway, San Dimas 91773
10 AM – 1 PM
Topics:
- Navigating the Workers’ Compensation System
- Return to Work Policies / IOD Status & IOD Pay
- Obtaining Medical Care in the Work Comp System
- Service Connected Disability Retirements
- Presumptions
- York to Sedgwick transition
- Question & Answer Session
Seating is limited. RSVP to (323) 261-3010 or sschreck@ppoa.com
The thin green line honors Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen
A fall morning in the Antelope Valley ushers in as blue a sky as you will find West of the Rockies and the air is crisp as the first bite of an apple.
You see the deputies, a trio of them marching in a single file rank and the creases in their khaki-and-green uniforms are as sharp as a paper cut.
They approach three deputies, standing at the military position of parade rest. Those three straighten up to the position of attention and the two ranks face each other and salute.
All of them pass in review of a large, decorative yellow, floral Sheriff’s badge crossed with a black stripe, propped on an easel, next to an
American flag.
The flag was secured to the chainlink fence on the boundary of the townhome development where Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen was shot and killed, execution-style on Oct. 5, 2016.
“It is hard to believe it’s been three years,” said retired Deputy Randy Harris, a man who rolled with Sgt. Owens in life and honors him in memory.
This past Saturday, was three years since the killing of Owen.
Nobody saw that as the end for Owen, who lived in the ranks of the loved and respected among experienced Sheriff’s deputies. He was 53, and therefore, pretty close to an honorable retirement. He coached at Paraclete High School. He was a practiced equestrian who taught former Sheriff Jim McDonnell how to ride.
By the counts in the charges, the parolee who killed him was a felon in possession of a firearm. Whatever the outcome, he most likely will live long years in prison. Trenton Trevon Lovell, held without bail since the killing, is about 30 years old.
While his legal fate will not be concluded, likely through years of trial with inevitable appeals, his life will likely be one of continued misery and ennui. And we judge not, lest we be judged. But he will be judged, finally.
The way that 1,095 days since Owen’s killing, was marked with
solemn respect.
The vigil began at midnight on Oct. 5, and went on for 24 hours — with ranks of deputies replacing the last rank with the next one, Sheriff’s Department Spokesperson Ali Villalobos explained.
“They are all on their own time,” she said. “Everyone volunteers, so no Sheriff’s Department time is used.”
A black-and-blue law enforcement flag provided the narrative of what happened within the environs of 32nd Street West and Avenue J-8.
On Oct. 5, 2016, Sgt. Steve Owen lost his life here. Many remember him now as a hero, immortalized by the
memory of his death.
His life was so much more. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a beloved, son, a brother, a partner, an outstanding mentor and a dedicated street cop.
He went to work every single day with the knowledge every cop has, that there was always a chance of not going home.
Still, he overcame that fear and went out on patrol every single day, to face other people’s
nightmares too.
He died a hero, but how he lived is what truly made him heroic. The deputies of Lancaster Station appreciate the love and support
of our community.
Though we protect you, we could not do our job without your support. Thank you for your continuing support as we honor our fallen brother.
So, the vigil continued, the deputies standing post on their own time, from midnight
to midnight.
On the weekend following the killing of Owen, who undertook that most dangerous of tasks voluntarily, thousands of people turned out in Lancaster for a candlelight vigil and walk in memory.
At his passage, that kind of hailing to Valhalla that is the hallmark of first responder memorials, thousands again. His commanders, his partners, the ones who knew him and the ones who never met him.
Our passing acquaintance was at a couple of outdoor events, securing the public peace and in the honors at city hall. Really, I can only say I knew him the passing nod between a law enforcement officer and anyone wearing a veterans ball cap.
Three years on, I know this. Sgt. Steve Owen is remembered, with love and respect. The other guy has already passed into shadow in the darkest of passage, even in life, a kind of permanent midnight.
Dennis Anderson is a licensed clinical social worker at High Desert Medical Group who served as editor at the Antelope Valley Press from 1999-2015. He works on veterans and community mental health issues.
Week in Review – 9/28/19
Week in Review – 9/21/19
Custody Assistant Ben Pallan Reunites with Sheriff Villanueva 30 Years after Meeting in ELA
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva reunites with kid he inspired to join law enforcement
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — It was a reunion almost 30 years in the making.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Los Angeles County Custody Assistant Ben Pallan came together just as they did in the projects of East L.A. in the early 1990s.
“You’re an inspiration to me, growing up where I grew up in East L.A.” said Pallan to Villanueva.
Pallan showed Villanueva a picture of himself when he was 9 years old standing next to him. “That kid there? That’s you.” said Villanueva. “That’s me right behind you,” replied Pallan.
Villanueva and his partner were two of the first deputies to enter the projects on bicycle.
“It was a tough place. Gangs, you had gangs on every corner of the area,” said Villanueva.
And it had an impact.
“We see gang members stand up and start running. We see them run and we’re like, why are they running? We turn around, it’s two deputies on a bike. We said wow. That’s why they’re running. That much power? I want to be him,” added Pallan.
It led Pallan on a career into law enforcement working for the last six years at Twin Towers Jail, and his plan is to follow in Villanueva’s footsteps as a deputy by next year.
“Oh, this made my millennium right here. Cause you hope you can inspire people to take on a positive role and work with the community and what he saw in those days, that got him to what he is today, that is really cool,” said Villanueva.
And in turn, Pallan hopes to inspire a future generation of law enforcement, saying “Do the same thing he did. Just do my job, do right and hopefully make an impact in somebody’s life.”
Week in Review – 9/14/19
Week in Review 9/7/19
